Toilet bowl and exhaust device



Feb. 17, 1970 A. B. TAGGART i 'TOILET BOWL AND EXHAUST DEVICE- Filed Nov. 16, 1967 0 m m m W. m

n 1 v aw. 8 MM .u. d W i W m w M w 46 II H United States Patent 3,495,282 TOILET BOWL AND EXHAUST DEVICE Allaird B. Taggart, Rte. 1, Box 251, Eureka, Calif. 95501 Filed Nov. 16, 1967, Ser. No. 683,708 Int. Cl. E03d 9/05 US. Cl. 4-213 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A toilet bowl having the usual flushing rim which receives water by way of an elbow from a flush tank. The bowl and tank are conventional and the tank houses the regularly used overflow pipe communicating with the elbow. The tank ball valve and float actuated means for unseating and re-seating the valve are likewise conventional. The improvement is directed to a blower-equipped ventilating conduit connected at its discharge end to a venting stack and at its intake end to an exhaust pipe within the confines of the tank rising to an inlet point over the normal water level in the tank. The lid of the tank has a sealing gasket which makes the upper part of the tank airtight.

This invention relates to a conventional-type water closet bowl and flush tank combination equipped, as usual, with tank-enclosed float means, a tank ball valve, and the customary overflow pipe and has to do, more particularly, with a ventilating conduit operatively joined at one end to the tank and at the other end to a venting stack, whereby to enable a user to clear the bowl of objectionable gases and odors.

It is an object of the present invention to structurally, functionally and in other significant ways improve upon prior art bowl ventilators by providing an unaltered bowl and tank, by retaining the usual tank ball valve and float means in the tank and adding to the efficiency of the tank by equipping it with simple, practical and proficient ventilating means.

Briefly, the ventilating means comprises a conduit which is provided at one end with a switch controlled blower and provided at its other end with an exhaust pipe which is located within the confines of the flush tank and is so arranged that the upper intake end is located in a plane above the normal level of the water in the flush tank.

Stated more specifically the aforementioned conduit comprises a rigid vertical exhaust pipe situated in the flush tank and connected at its lower end by way of an elbow to a flexible hose, said hose, in turn, being communicatively connected with the aforementioned blower. Also, and to the ends desired, the blower is communicatively connected to a venting stack.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective showing a water closet bowl, a tank with the usual removable cover, float controlled tank ball valving means and, what is more important, the attachment type ventilating means.

FIG. 2 is a view on an enlarged scale fragmentarily shown and which shOWs the lower corner portion of the flush tank and the adjacent component parts of the ventilating means.

Referring now to the drawing the toilet bowl, which is conventional, is denoted by the numeral'4 and, as is usual, is provided at its top with a flush rim 6. As is evident from FIG. 1 the usual seat ring and lid or cover have been omitted for clearness of illustration of the significant parts of the over-all concept. Like the bowl 4 the flush tank 8 is conventional and includes the usual box-type tank 10 and a removable lid or cover 12. Inasmuch as the upper part of the tank, that is above the normal water level 14 is significant in carrying out the principles of the invention, the skirt portion of the cover is provided with a gasket 16 which, when the lid is closed, tends to make the upper part of the tank substantially airtight. The water delivery elbow is denoted at 18 and communicates at its discharge end with the bowl and has its upper end joined with appropriate valve seat means 20 for the ball tank valve 22. The overflow pipe 24 has its lower end communicatively connected, as at 26 with the elbow. The usual float is denoted at 28 and lifting lever at 30 which, as shown, is operatively connected with the ball tank valve 22. It will be evident that all of the component parts so far described are old and well known except the idea of providing the cover or lid 12 with appropriate gasket means.

It is reiterated that the means which is added to increase the utility and capability of the tank may be properly referred to as an attachment, more specifically, as a tank supported ventilator for ventilating the bowl by way of the elbow 18, overflow pipe 24 and trapping space in the tank above the normal Water level. The improved conduit, while capable of construction in a manner different from that shown at the right in FIGS. 1 and 2 preferably comprises an elbow 30 whose upper end portion 32 (FIG. 2) is coupled and operatively connected as at 34 to the lower threaded end 36 of an exhaust pipe 38. The lower end portion may be provided with a stop collar or flange 40 and with a depending portion 42 to extend through an opening provided therefor in the bottom wall 44 of the tank. By using suitable packing washers a satisfactory connection between the elbow and exhaust pipe 38 is had. This exhaust pipe is of a length that the upper end 46 is intended (FIG. 1) to project above the normal level of the water 14. The conduit also includes an appropriate flexible and resilient hose 48 which is coupled as at 50 with the elbow. The other end of the hose is communicatively connected as at 52 to an appropriatae centrifugal type blower 54 which in turn is connected at 56 to the venting stack 58. A remote controlled switch 60 is provided in a switch box 62 which is mounted in the room wall in a position within convenient reach of the user. The switch is operatively connected as indicated generally at 64 with the blower. It follows that whenever the user desires to clear the bowl of obnoxious gases and odor it is only necessary to switch the blower on and to in this manner suck the gases out of the receptacle portion of the bowl as indicated by the arrows in FIG. 1. The gases pass through the elbow 18 into the overflow pipe 24 and are discharged in the upper chamber portion of the tank and then enter the intake end 46 of the exhaust pipe 38. The blower circulates the gases by way of the conduit and blower into the venting stack 58.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In combination, a toilet with a toilet bowl having an open top portion encompassed by a perforated flush rim, a conventional-type water storing flush tank operatively mounted atop said toilet bowl, said tank having an openable and closable top, said top being covered by a 3 bodily applicable and removable lid provided on an underneath 'side with a self-contained air-tight joint sealing gasket, said gasket being interposed between' said lid and coacting upper edges of the walls of said tank and being seated atop coacting edges of said walls, a water gravitating elbow having a discharge end communicating with said bowl and a water intake end' communicably located in the water space of said tank and provided with a valve seat for a cooperating tank ball valve, an upstanding overflow pipe located in the water storing space of said tank and having its lower end communicatively joinedto said elbow and its upper end opening extending into an upper air trapping space of the tank above the normal level of' the water in said tank and capable of delivering into and trapping obn oxious air, gases and odors in said upper space, means for picking up and exhausting air and gases from said space, said means constituting a ventilator for said bowl and comprising a single exhaust pipe situate?! within the confines of said tank withfits constantly open upper air and gasesintake end terminating in said space above the normal level of the water in said tank, the lower end of said exhaust'i pipe extending downwardly through and beyond an opening spaced from said elbow and spaced from a conventional Water supply pipe provided therefor in the bottom wall of said tank, a second elbow located accessibly below the underneath side of the bottom wall of said tank and having one end separably coupled and communicatively connected with a coacting' lower end of the aforementioned exhaust'pipe, a blower havingia discharge end adapted to be communicatively connected with a venting stack,,and a flexible wholly accessible hose having one end connected to the other end of the aforementioned second elbow and its other end operatively connected with a' cooperating intake portion of the aforementioned blower.

2. The combination defined in and aecording to claim 1 and, in combination, an electric wall switch adapted to be accessibly mounted in a toilet wall in position accessible to an occupant user of the aforementioned toilet, and an operating connection between said switch and a cooperating component part of said blower.

3. For use in a: water storing and dispensing toilet flash tank' such as is designed and constructed to coop- 4 crate with a conventional-tgpe bowl,'a self-contained tank ventilating attachment comprising a single piece exhaust pipe being erected in a vertical ready-to use position within the confines of the water'storing space of said tank, said pipe having an upper end for 'intake or" foul air and obnoxious gases capable of terminating at an =ntake level above the normal level of the flush water in said tank, said pipe having a lower end provided with outstanding fixed flange, said flange faced with a sealing gasket, that portion of the lower end below said gasketequipped flange extending downwardly through and slightly beyond an opening spaced from a conventional water inlet pipe provided therefor in a bottom wall of the aforementioned tank, an elbow having a first end proximai to the bottom of said tank and provided with readily accessible means coupling and communicatively connecting said first end with the lower end of said pipefa constantly and readily accessible flexible hose having a one end communicatively and detachably connected with acoactingend of said elbow, said hose being provided at its opposite end with a second elbow, a centrifugal type blower having an intake with which said last-named elbow is com-municatively connected, and having a discharge which is 'designed'and adapted to be communicatively operatively connected with a venting stack, af wall switch, and means operatively connecting said switch with a component part of the aforementioned blower.

7 References Cited 7 4-218 LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary l lxaminer DONALD B. MASSENBERG, Assistant Examiner 

